ABSTRACT
Various authors have expressed concern over the potential for head and cervical spine injury that exists in soccer (Hess and Huberty, 1985; Kross et al., 1983; Sortland et al., 1982; Scoppetta and Vaccario, 1978). Ball-to-head contact, through heading, is an intended part of the game. Beyond this, incidental ball to head contact is a relatively frequent occurrence, especially among children and other inexperienced players. The intensity of the impact resulting from ball-to-head contact is influenced by many factors. Included are ball velocity, ball mass, angle of impact, and the elasticity of the ball. Not only are these variables affected by the dynamics of the game, but also by the conditions under which the game is played.
